The taxi whizzed over Torgallmenningen in Bergen at high speed. The driver has explained that the Tesla drove by itself. Hordaland District Court believes the incident was more likely due to human error.
It was the night of Saturday 13 March that the taxi drove from Torggaten into the car-free public area in the heart of Bergen.
The car smashed an outdoor restaurant in the side street and collided with the Narvesen kiosk in the square. No one was hit, but witnesses have explained that the speed was high.
The taxi driver has explained to the police that he tried to brake, but that the brakes did not work.
The police wanted to investigate whether the car’s self-driving system was on. Now the investigators have obtained vehicle data from Tesla.
According to Bergensavisen (BA), Tesla has not registered that the brake pedal was activated. The electric car manufacturer has also registered changes in the angle of the gas pedal.
Tesla notes that none of the driver assistance systems can move the accelerator pedal, but that in this case two sensors have picked up movement in the accelerator pedal. It must be because it has been moved by an “external source” such as the driver’s foot, writes the car manufacturer, according to BA.
The driver’s license was temporarily confiscated after the accident. He wants to get his driver’s license back, but was not successful in the Hordaland district court.
The court does not rule out technical failure, but finds it more likely that the incident is due to driver error, the ruling states.
The police are therefore allowed to keep the driver’s license confiscated for a further three months. The case has not been fully investigated.
The district court believes that it appears to be accidental that the accident did not have serious consequences for people who were nearby.
– The driving involved a great danger to life and health, states the judge according to BA.
Published: 08.06.23 at 22:09
